PDP condemns FG suspension of Twitter, calls for unconditional restoration

Nigeria main opposition party, The People Democratic Party – PDP has risen to the occasion of yesterday suspension of Twitter operation in Nigeria social media space by the Federal Government of Nigeria and is condemning President Muhammadu Buhari administration for such unpopular and uninformed decision.

Reminding President Buhari of his “used and dumped” attitude towards Twitter which the former used as one of the vehicles to deliver him door to door to the electorates in 2015 and 2019, the People Democratic Party said:

“Afterall, it was the same Twitter that provided President Buhari and the APC the platform to campaign in 2015 and 2019”.

Also considering the importance and use of Twitter by Nigerians to question Buhari’s administration which PDP alleges to patronizing terrorists and abating corruption, the opposition party said the FG suspension of Twitter was a deliberate plan to stop the people from using the medium to ask for accountability over innumerable cases of corruption in Buhari’s administration and his obvious romance with terrorists.

Thus the People Democratic Party – PDP calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to unconditionally restore Twitter’s operations in Nigeria social media space.

Bellow is the full text of PDP Press Statement against Buhari suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria as signed by the National Publicity Secretary Kola Ologbondiyan:

June 4, 2021

Press Statement

PDP Rejects Suspension of Twitter By FG…Cautions That Buhari Is Pushing Nigerians to the Wall

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vehemently rejects the unwarranted suspension of the social media platform, Twitter, by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government, describing it as a draconian action and a slide towards a fascist regime in our country.

The party asserts that the suspension of twitter, is a vexatious, condemnable and barbaric move to muzzle Nigerians, particularly the youths, ostensibly to prevent them from holding the overtly corrupt, vindictive and divisive Buhari administration accountable for its atrocities, including human right violations, patronizing of terrorists and outright suppressive acts against innocent Nigerians.

Our party is appalled that the Federal Government could exhibit such primitive intolerance and power intoxication because the social media giant demonstrated international best practices in not allowing the Buhari presidency to use Twitter as a platform to propagate and spread the Buhari administration’s hatred towards Nigerians.

The PDP insists that rather than being a platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence, as claimed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, Nigerians, particularly the youths, have been using the social media platform, largely, for activities that promote unity, as well as social, economic and commercial interaction in our country.

Our party notes that Mr. Lai Mohammed, in his statement, failed to cite an example of where Nigerians used Twitter as a platform to promote acts that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence as he claimed.

Of course, the failure to give any such instance, confirms that the Federal Government is only out to victimize Nigerians.

The Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration are only afraid of Nigerians on Twitter because of their evil machinations for which they dread the Nigerian youths.

Moreover, freedom of speech is firmly guaranteed in our constitution and the Buhari administration should be ready to face Nigerians over its misrule.

In the case of any infringement, our nation has adequate extant laws to deal with such and not this move to gag the people.

The PDP therefore charges President Buhari to end this assault against Nigerians by immediately and unconditionally rescinding its decision to ban Twitter, as such amounts to pushing our citizens to the wall.

Afterall, it was the same Twitter that provided President Buhari and the APC the platform to campaign in 2015 and 2019.

It is also on record that President Buhari would not be the first President in the world whose tweet would be deleted.

When it happened to former US President Donald Trump, he was not known to have deployed any act coercion against Twitter.

Our party invites President Buhari to halt this international shame by rescinding this ugly decision.

Signed:

Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary